


The Intervention

by Fenchurch87



Series: Tales of Kirkwall (and Beyond) [19]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Canon Divergent Hawke Family, Depression, Drinking, Family Feels, Gen, Sibling Love, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24589285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fenchurch87/pseuds/Fenchurch87
Summary: Ingrid Hawke's father and brother take action to stop her destroying herself. Originally written in response to a writing prompt on /r/dragonage.
Series: Tales of Kirkwall (and Beyond) [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1086066





	The Intervention

“Another one of these, Corff. And make it quick.” Ingrid slammed her glass down on the bar and shoved a handful of coins across the sticky wooden surface. Corff gave her a brief glance, shaking his head, but he still took her money before filling her glass from one of the barrels. She nodded in thanks. The ale at the Hanged Man tasted worse than pig shit, but it did its job. A couple more and she would be able to forget everything for the night.

She squinted at her drink, trying to bring it back into focus. Her vision swam, but after a few blinks she was able to discern the outline of her now full glass. That was enough. At least she could pick it up, even if most of it remained a little blurred. Her fingers closed around the glass, but before she could raise it to her lips another hand covered hers and forced the glass back down.

“I think that's quite enough for one evening, don't you?” said a voice behind her. She spun on her stool, her free hand forming a fist. The intruder ducked, and she lost her balance and tumbled onto the hard wooden floor. A smattering of applause broke out around the tavern, and she glared at each corner in turn as she struggled to stand up. Her adversary offered her a hand and she took it grudgingly.

“Is this how things are now?” Leif asked as he helped her back to her stool and then perched on the one beside it. “My sister the fearless warrior has become a drunken laughing stock?” She shrugged in response, and he sighed. “Ingrid,” he tried again in a softer tone. “I know exactly how you're feeling. And I also know that this doesn't help.” He gestured towards her untouched drink.

She laughed, but it sounded unconvincing even to her intoxicated ears. Leif would never be fooled, but she had to at least try to maintain the lie. “It's cute you assume I have feelings, brother,” she replied mockingly.

“I'm not assuming anything.” Leif leaned forward on his stool. “We have more in common than you think. We both feel the need to hide behind a mask. Me behind jokes and levity, and you behind this tough, uncaring exterior.”

She scowled. There was truth in his words, but she didn't want to hear it. “We are nothing alike,” she muttered, turning away and taking hold of her glass again, only for Leif to snatch it out of her hand. “Oh, fuck off!” she cried in frustration. “Why can't you just fuck off and leave me alone?”

“Because I can't let you go on destroying yourself!” There was a catch in her brother's voice now, but she pushed aside the pang of guilt. He didn't understand, no matter how much he claimed to. No one understood.

“What are you going to do? Drag me out of here?”

“If it comes to that.”

She let out a snort of laughter, genuine this time. “I'd like to see you try.”

“Oh, I think we'll manage just fine.”

“We?” She blinked and glanced uncertainly around the tavern.

“Yes. I brought backup this time.” Leif nodded to a figure standing by the door. She wasn't sure who it was at first, but as they approached the bar she was able to deduce that the figure was a man. A tall man with a very slight but unmistakable limp.

“Father?” she hissed. “What's he doing here? You had no right to bring him into this.”

“He had every right.” Magnus Hawke stopped beside her stool and glared down at her. “And if you think I'm going to sit and watch while you drink yourself to death, you are very much mistaken.”

She lowered her eyes. No one could make her feel ashamed of her actions quite like her father could. Maybe it was a power of all fathers everywhere.

“Look at me, little lioness.” She slowly raised her head and met her father's gaze. “What you're doing isn't healthy, surely you can see that.” Magnus paused and took one of her hands; she stiffened but didn't pull away. “We love you, Leif and I. That's why we're here. We love you and we can't let this continue.” He turned away and scrubbed a hand across his eyes.

Perhaps it was the nickname she hadn't heard since she was a girl. Or perhaps it was the raw emotion she saw in her father's face. But whatever it was, it brought the feelings she had kept bottled away for months to the surface.

“She left me, Father,” she blurted out through a stream of sobs. “She left without even saying goodbye, like... like I was nothing to her.”

“Shhh,” Magnus whispered, and now she really did feel like a little girl again, safe in her Papa's arms. He would make everything alright. “Let's get you home.”

She let her father and brother help her to her feet and didn't resist as they led her out of the tavern and up the steps towards Hightown. It was time to stop fighting and face the truth, not matter how uncomfortable.


End file.
